


Head Over Heels

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: M/M, Prompts meme, mild h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22928812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: Look, at some point in every relationship, one of you winds up in the emergency room for something minor (prompts: ER visit that turns out to be nothing big; favorite date)
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 110
Collections: Barisi Valentine Prompt Challenge 2020





	Head Over Heels

"Mr. Barba?" A man in green scrubs asks as he pushes aside the curtain of the little emergency room cubicle. 

"That's me," Rafael says. He gestures to Sonny. "My partner, Sonny."

"Doctor Tellen. Nice to meet you." The doctor shakes both their hands, then glances at the tablet he's carrying. "It says here you fell and hit your head."

"Yes," Rafael says, trying not to sound petulant as he takes the ice pack off his temple. 

"And you've been having some double vision since."

"Yes."

"Okay." Doctor Tellen puts the tablet on a table and spritz hand sanitizer on his hands. "What were you doing when you slipped?"

Rafael glances at Sonny, giving him a small nod to explain. His head is pounding, and he'd rather not have to talk more than necessary. 

"We were on a date," Sonny says. "Picnic in the park."

Doctor Tellen smiles as he turns Rafael's head towards the light and probes carefully at the lump on his temple. "Sounds nice."

"It was," Sonny says, and Rafael can't help but meet his smile with one of his own. It had been a very nice experience, as it always is. He'd never have guessed that his favorite dates would be so cliche as picnics in the park, but Sonny always went slightly overboard to make the event a real event. 

"I need to shine a light in your eyes," Doctor Tellen says to Rafael. "I know it's going to make your headache worse."

Rafael nods slowly and tries very hard not to squint so much that Doctor Tellen has to shine the light longer than necessary.

"Pupils are reacting normally, that's good." Doctor Tellen carefully works Rafael's neck back and forth. "So, were you at a picnic table, or were you on the grass?"

"Grass," Sonny says. "I'm kind of a classic dork for that."

Doctor Tellen chuckles quietly, and Rafael watches something he's seen a hundred times before--a complete stranger, faced with the sheer existence of Sonny Carisi, falling a little bit in love. "The classics are that way for a reason," Doctor Tellen says. He steps back from Rafael. "Are you still seeing double?"

"A little," Rafael answers. "But it comes and goes."

"Blurriness?"

"Comes and goes."

"Both good," Doctor Tellen says and picks up the tablet. He taps a few times. "How did you hit your head?"

Rafael sighs deeply. He doesn't miss Sonny's quiet laugh. "A spider dropped down from the tree we were under," he says. "I jumped up because it...surprised me, and then I tripped over something and fell and hit my head on a rock in the grass."

"Any history of head injuries? Concussions or skull fractures or anything?"

"That's his speciality," Rafael says, giving Sonny a quick smirk. 

"I've had one concussion," Sonny tells Doctor Tellen while rolling his eyes. "He will never let me live it down."

"Do you mind if I ask how?" Doctor Tellen asks. 

"I slipped on a cooked pasta noodle in the kitchen and slammed my head on the counter."

Rafael watches Doctor Tellen try to keep a straight face. "I've never been concussed or had a skull fracture," Rafael says. 

"You hit your head. That causes headaches, and sometimes it messes with your vision for a little while. Your pupils are reacting normally, and there's nothing around the bump that worries me," Doctor Tellen says. "You don't have a history of head injury, and your worrying symptoms are fading. I think you're safe to go home and take it easy. Ice and rest. You probably won't be able to read or watch television comfortably for a day or two. I recommend 800 milligrams of Ibuprofen or Tylenol every eight hours for at least the next 48 hours to help keep the headache manageable."

"Works for me," Rafael says, grateful he's clearly about to be sent home. "Thanks."

"My pleasure. Very nice to meet you both." Doctor Tellen shakes both their hands again, promises them the nurse will be in with the discharge paperwork in a moment, and leaves them alone.

Sonny curls against Rafael, pressing a very careful kiss just above the lump on his head. "Thank you for getting checked out even though you really are just fine," he says quietly. 

Rafael leans against Sonny, closing his eyes against the unpleasant fluorescent glare of their little cubicle, and breathes in the lingering smell of warm grass and sunshine that's still sticking to Sonny's shirt. "I know it's not the same as being in the park, but I would be happy to set up on the balcony and finish our picnic. We've got the daylight for it."

Sonny brushes a kiss into Rafael's hair. "As long as you feel up for it, I'm happy to."

"But you have to promise to keep an eye out for spiders."

Sonny laughs quietly. "I'll protect you," he promises. 

You always do, Rafael thinks, but he decides he'll wait for another time to say it. Or at least until they're home on the balcony and enjoying the warmth of the mid-afternoon sunlight and the rest of their picnic.


End file.
